Materials such as cement, construction aggregates, construction glass, bricks, tiles, etc., belong to Group 2 products that may pose safety risks during use and must be certified and declared for conformity before being placed on the market.

On June 30, 2023, the Ministry of Construction issued Circular No. 04/2023/TT-BXD together with the National Technical Regulation QCVN 16:2023/BXD, specifying limits of technical characteristics and management requirements for construction material products and goods manufactured domestically, imported, traded, circulated, and used in construction works within Vietnam.
QCVN 16:2023/BXD officially took effect on January 1, 2024, replacing QCVN 16:2019/BXD.

Applicable Subjects

The applicable entities of QCVN 16 include:

• Organizations and individuals manufacturing, importing, trading, and using construction material products and goods;
• Testing organizations and conformity certification bodies conducting assessment and certification of construction material products;
• Relevant state management agencies responsible for product and goods quality of construction materials.

QCVN 16:2023/BXD inherits products from the previous version and supplements and revises several products and technical indicators. The detailed list of products requiring conformity certification is as follows:

Product groups and Product names

Cement and Admixtures

• Portland cement
• Blended Portland cement
• Sulfate-resistant Portland cement
• Phosphogypsum for cement production
• Granulated blast furnace slag for cement production
• Ground granulated blast furnace slag for concrete and mortar
• Fly ash for concrete and mortar
• Fly ash for cement

Construction Aggregates

• Natural sand for concrete and mortar
• Crushed sand for concrete and mortar

Tiles and Facing Stones

• Ceramic tiles
• Natural facing stones
• Artificial facing stones based on organic binders
• Interlocking concrete paving blocks

Masonry Materials

• Fired clay bricks
• Concrete bricks
• Autoclaved aerated concrete products
• Wall panels

Construction Glass

• Float glass
• Tempered flat glass
• Heat-absorbing colored glass
• Reflective coated glass
• Low-emissivity coated glass
• Laminated glass and safety laminated glass
• Insulating glass units

Roofing Materials

• Asbestos cement sheets
• Roofing tiles

Sanitary Equipment

• Washbasins
• Wall-mounted urinals (male)
• Female urinals
• Water closets

Other Construction Materials

• Roll wall coverings (finished wallpaper, vinyl wall coverings, plastic wall coverings)
• Chrysotile asbestos for asbestos cement sheet production
• Gypsum boards and reinforced gypsum panels
• Emulsion wall paint
• Engineered wood boards
• PVC pipes and fittings for water supply and drainage under pressure
• Polyethylene (PE) pipes and fittings for water supply and drainage
• Polypropylene (PP) pipes and fittings for water supply and drainage
• Glass fiber reinforced thermosetting plastic (GRP) pipes and fittings based on unsaturated polyester (UP) resin
• Ductile iron pipes and fittings for water conveyance systems
• Cable ladder and tray systems made of iron or steel for electrical installation
• Conduits and fittings for protection and installation of electrical wiring

Benefits of QCVN 16 Certification

• Compliance with legal and quality management requirements of the Ministry of Construction and the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality; products are labeled with the CR mark before market circulation.
• Improved product quality, increased customer attraction, higher revenue, and enhanced competitiveness and bidding capability.
• Clear and effective quality management processes, improving internal management and operational efficiency.
• Support for accessing international markets and expanding cooperation with foreign partners.
• Ensuring safety during use and minimizing low-quality products.
• Expansion of domestic and international markets.

After being assessed and granted a Certificate of Conformity to QCVN 16:2023/BXD, organizations must carry out conformity declaration at the Department of Construction or competent authority where the business is registered, in accordance with Circular No. 28/2012/TT-BKHCN and Circular No. 02/2017/TT-BKHCN.

Required Documents for Conformity Declaration

Basic dossier includes:

• Declaration of conformity (Form 2.CBHC/HQ, Appendix III of Circular 28/2012/TT-BKHCN)
• Certified copy of the Certificate of Conformity and CR mark sample
• Certified copy of business/legal registration documents

Additional documents may be required depending on the appraisal process.

We hope this article provides useful information.

ISSQ Quality Institute is always ready to accompany enterprises in the process of integration and development.

Please contact hotline: +84 981851111 or email: vienchatluong@issq.org.vn | tcvn@issq.org.vn. We are honored to serve you.

Published date: April 2, 2023